large turtle and
many skates and thornbacks, but caught none.

THE AUTHOR'S REMOVING TO ANOTHER PART OF NEW HOLLAND: DOLPHINS, WHALES,
AND MORE SEA-SERPENTS: AND OF A PASSAGE OR STRAIT SUSPECTED HERE: OF THE
VEGETABLES, BIRDS, AND FISH.

It was August the 14th when I sailed out of this bay or sound, the mouth
of which lies, as I said, in 25 degrees 5 minutes, designing to coast
along to the north-east till I might commodiously put in at some other
part of New Holland. In passing out we saw 3 water-serpents swimming
about in the sea, of a yellow colour, spotted with dark brown spots. They
were each about 4 foot long, and about the bigness of a man's wrist, and
were the first I saw on this coast, which abounds with several sorts of
them. We had the winds at our first coming out at north and the land
lying north-easterly. We plied off and on, getting forward but little
till the next day: when the wind coming at south-south-west and south we
began to coast it along the shore to the northward, keeping at 6 or 7
leagues off shore; and sounding often, we had between 40 and 46 fathom
water, brown sand with some white shells. This 15th of August we were in
latitude 24 degrees 41 minutes. On the 16th day at noon we were in 23
degrees 22 minutes. The wind coming at east by north we could not keep
the shore aboard, but were forced to go farther off, and lost sight of
the land. Then sounding we had no ground with 80 fathom line; however the
wind shortly after came about again to the southward, and then we jogged
on again to the northward and saw many small dolphins and whales, and
abundance of scuttle-shells swimming on the sea; and some water-snakes
every day. The 17th we saw the land again, and took a sight of it.

The 18th in the afternoon, being 3 or 4 leagues offshore, I saw a shoal
point, stretching from the land into the sea a league or more. The sea
broke high on it; by which I saw plainly there was a shoal there. I stood
farther off and coasted alongshore to about 7 or 8 leagues distance: and
at 12 o'clock at night we sounded, and had but 20 fathom hard sand. By
this I found I was upon another shoal, and so presently steered off west
half an hour, and had then 40 fathom. At one in the morning of the 18th
day we had 85 fathom: by two we could find no ground; and then I ventured
to steer alongshore again, due north, which is two points wide of the
coast (that lies north-north-east) for fear of another shoal. I would not
be